Screen International has moved the venue of its forthcoming UK Film Finance Summit because of a surge in registration numbers for the event.

Nearly 300 film professionals have already registered for the Summit which will take place on the same date - Oct 16 - but at a larger venue, the Millenium Hotel London Mayfair in Grosvenor Square.

The Summit was previously scheduled to take place at the Royal Society Of Arts.

The Summit comes at a crucial time for the UK film industry as it lobbies for continued tax relief. The current Section 48 scheme, aimed at spurring the production of British films budgeted under $25m (£15m), is not expected to continue in its existing form beyond July 2005.

The issue was highlighted earlier this month by an all-party parliamentary committee which said that continued tax relief was "absolutely essential for the health of the film industry." It recommended that tax-driven incentives should "evolve" to encourage both the production and distribution of British films.

Highlights of UK Film Finance Summit programme include a master class in independent film production with Jeremy Thomas; a keynote address from UK Film Council CEO John Woodward; and sessions on tax financing, public film funding and on UK distribution.

It is possible to register online for the Summit at www.screendaily.com/uksummit or by calling 0044 (0)20 7505 6044